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What About the Art? Focusing on Creativity in Artistic Practices

NEW YORK, September 9, 2016 — Artist, curator, and critic Robert Storr gave a keynote presentation to open the symposium "What About the Art? Focusing on Creativity in Artistic Practices," followed by remarks from Michelle Yun, senior curator of modern and contemporary art at Asia Society. The program then featured a panel discussion with artist and curator Cai Guo-Qiang and visual artist Ann Hamilton that was moderated by Joachim Pissarro, Bershad professor of art history and director of the Hunter College Art Galleries (1 hr., 27 min.)

NEW YORK, September 9, 2016 — Tim Griffin, executive director and chief curator at The Kitchen, and Nancy Spector, deputy director and chief curator at the Brooklyn Museum, discuss creativity in artistic practices at a symposium organized in collaboration with artist Cai Guo-Qiang. Laura Hoptman of the Museum of Modern Art gives introductory remarks and moderates the discussion. (51 mins. 52 secs.)

Live Webcast

Can’t make it to this program? Tune in Friday, September 9, at 2:00p.m. New York time for a free live video webcast. Viewers are encouraged to submit questions to moderator@asiasociety.org or via Twitter by using the hashtag #AsiaSocietyLIVE.AsiaSociety.org/Live

At a time when major exhibitions and biennials often focus on popular topics such as the environment, violent conflict, and cultural identity and context, there continues to be a lack of direct inquiry into the creative process and artists themselves. This was an issue raised in the recent exhibition curated by Cai Guo-Qiang at the Qatar Museum in Doha entitled What About the Art? Contemporary Art from China. While these sociopolitical topics are important, equally crucial is a focus on artworks and artistic practices. Two specialized examine the importance of these considerations when curating in a global context.

The artist, curator, and critic Robert Storr will give a keynote presentation; other participants include the artist and curator Cai Guo-Qiang; visual artist Ann Hamilton; Tim Griffin, Executive Director and Chief Curator at The Kitchen; Laura Hoptman, Curator, Painting and Sculpture, The Museum of Modern Art; Joachim Pissarro, Bershad Professor of Art History and Director of the Hunter College Art Galleries; and Nancy Spector, Deputy Director and Chief Curator at the Brooklyn Museum.

The symposium will open with a screening of the 70-minute documentary film What About the Art? (directed by Shanshan Xia) featuring Cai Guo-Qiang’s candid conversations with thirty international artists and specialists on questions surrounding the exhibition.

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